Display apparatus.



G. M. WILEY.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I9. I9I7.

l ,271,817. Patented July 9, 191'8.

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GEORGE M. WILEY, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed November 197 1917. Serial No. 202,865.

'To all whom t may concern.'

l Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and ycast or formed upon a contrasting canvas objects enumerated.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the various State of California, have invented a certainA new and useful Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for forming upon a suitable background, images, pictures, signs, words, legends or in fact designs or outlines of any form or character having either an educational or artistic merit, coupled with interest in the manner of display, or a commercial value that will stimulate attraction and at the same time advertise certain grades or classes of merchantable goods.

Objects of this invention are to provide a device in which an outline or design of a definite artistic or exhibitory nature may be or screen without the cause of the formation being or becoming known to the spectators, and to provide a device of simple and economical construction for carrying out the A further object of this invention is to provide a display device in which a variety of subjects may be successfully exhibited and such exhibition controlled automatically.

Other objects will appear from the subjoined specification in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating a form of apparatus for carrying out this inven- In the drawing- Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken to show the trough for the flakes and the distributing means for the air.

. parts broken to illustrate interior construction, otherwise hidden.

iF ig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective segregated view of the associated means for effecting distribution of the air. l

My invention consists of a means, preferably pneumatic, for agitating or disseminating within a definite area a mass of flakes, fiaked material, shreds or chips, or other light particles that may readily be carried and flurried by air currents, and causing a portion of the whirled mass to lodge or accumulate and be held at definite points on and within definite areas of a screen or canvas to form a predetermined outline or an en masse collection for pictorial or other representation, as desired.

To this end I provide a suitable section 1, of any design, or construction, having a transparent front 2, as of glass, and a box portion 3 at the bottom thereof, which box is open at the top and communicates with the space formed by the -section 1. Within such box is disposed a trough 4, circular in longitudinal and vertical cross section, for a mass A of flakes, shreds, or fragments of any light material, which may be plain, colored or mixed, as desired, for producing the most attractive effect.

Centrally of said trough 4, is an air distributer 5, consisting in the instance shown in Fig. 5, of a T 6, divided by a central partition 7 into two passageways 8 and 9; the branch 10, of said T extending through the wall 11, of said box 3. In air tight engagement with the end of said branch 10, may be a substantially rectangular conduit 12, having two lower passageways 13 and 14;, which are arranged to register with the pas-l sageways 8 and 9, yof said branch, and an `upper passageway 15, which is arranged to register with a vertical air duct 16, disposed above said T. The conduit 12, is fitted into the outlet pipe 17, of a blower 18, or other current producing means.

Such air distributer 5, serves to divide the air into separate streams, whereby an accumulation of the Hakes or shreds at any one point in the section 1, is prevented and a perfect agitation brought about.

Onto the rear of the section 1, is removably fastened a section 1; forming with the section an air tight inclosure. m

Within said section is a plurality of horizontal strips or riliies 19, on the front of which is fastened a backing or support 20,y consisting preferably of any suitable reticulate fabric or porous material, for a screen 21, of rubber, wood or paper, provided with openings or perforations 22, forming an outline or figure. Such openings or perforations ma 'represent artistic shapes or ligures, or ot er subjects designed for exhibition, and may be so arranged and distributed over the area of the screen that they collectively form a pictorial or other group, while retaining, when separately or successively. 'I exhibited,e' as hereinaftenf appearing, 1

their individual value and artistic appearance.

The screen 21, and backing or support 20,

are glued or otherwise fastened to the fronti of the strips or riifies 19, which divide the Y screen YK21, into a;.plfurali ty., of zones j 23,. in

some of'which certain outlines or designs are contained, and in otlierslof which certain otherdiiferent ,outlines or designsmay be representedl byl the-perforationsor openings 22. r

Within the 4section 1, andaiiixed tof thev The cover'24', is provided with two rows.` `26V and 27 of alternate. openings, divided by a verticalpartition 28, which ,also divides the space-in said'fsection 1 in back-.of the coveri24, into the two chambers 29 and 30.y

The rows 26 and 27, respectively, of alter- `nate openings, provide passageways for the air-from the -front of the screen 21,' to the chambers 29 and 30, respectively, the circulation of air for eifectingfthe exhibition of outlines or designs on alternaftcfzones ofrtlie screen, 21, in succession, being controlled by any suitable mechanism, such as presently detailed., i

vThe bottom `of the section l on each sidel of the partition 28, is; provided with an. 'opening- 31 and 32, registering with openings v33 and ,'34, in `the -topof a closed receptacle135, whichl is, integral 'withthe section 1, and -isdivided Yinto two compartments by apartition36; the inner wall 37, of said receptacle 3.5, is provided on .each side of the partition 36,'w1th1an air outlet;38 and 39,'k

controlled by valves 40 `and 41, respectively,

which are. arranged to be'operated and heldv opened alternately by a plurality of cams 42 andil 43, mounted on a shaft 44, carried' in suitable supports 45, and drivenI from the shaft 46 ofthe blower 18', which inturn;

is driven by any .source yof power not shown.

The currents of lair vcaused by the blowerV 18., and distributer 5, whirling: inV various circulatory directions, produces a dissemination of vthe flakes .or shreds A, inthesection 1; On suchzones onlyof the screen21, wherev the air` currents pass throughthe perforations in the. screen,` andthe respective row of openings in the cover 24,'an accuinuf,

lation 'of the Hakes will occur,V and such v accumulation will be of .a design Orbutline-exactly in accordance with the design cor, outlinel formed Vby the perforations orL openings in thescreen.

Obviously such passage, ofv air cannotoccur until the valves 4Q and 41 are op'erst-ed., andV inorder thatlthe exhibition may1be 'made in accordance with apredetermined design, thevalvesaresoperatedialternately, first to produce upon the screen, as shown in Fig, 1, the. first, thirdand fifth lines, and second, to produce the second, fourth and sixth lines. Thus, referring to Fig. 4, when the cam 42, has opened the valve 40, the air circulates through the perforations in those zones of the screen, having corresponding outlets-'26, inthe-cover 24, the air passing out through the air outlet 38. The valve 41, is held closed, by airl pressurev from the inside until opened by thecam 43.

Thoseii-akes that'are not arrested by thev airy passing throughI the perforations, are continuously whirled labout in a continuous stream. When the air vcurrents cease-.the flakes will gravitate slowly' tothe trough. It-*will be apparent that any numberof Zones, valves and other parts, to give a greater variety of display, is fullyiwithin the scope of the invention.

Vhat I claim is:

1. Ay display apparatus comprising an inclosure, a screen within said inclosure, having cut-out portions, and dividing said inclosurc into a front and rear compartment, a mass of fiaked material in said'front compartment, means tosupply air currents' to.Y

said Afront compartment to agitate said ,mass

of lflaked 'material and cause an accumulation vof said material at points on said screen where the cut-.out portions occur, meansk dividing said screen into' a plurality of zones,

and means to control the circulation/ of-the,`

air currents to cause successively ank accumulation of the flaked material ,on alternate. zones of said screen.

2. .A display apparatus comprisingairin-` closure, a screen withinesaid in closurehaving cut-'out portions, means dividing'said screen Ainto a plurality of zones,a\ masfsof iaked material in front of said screen,-` means Vto produce air currents to agitatcsaid mass, Iand means lto control successivelythe circulation ofvair currents through al-A ternate zones of said screen tocause` an accumulatloll. of said materialin those 'zones only through 'which the aircurrents @iron-,-

3. .Aj display 'apparatus' comprising, anf .finclosure,a screen within said inclosure having cut-out portions, amass: offflked material, means `to producel` air currents rtol agitate material, `and` means .-to control the` circulationV of air through certain ofsaidglcutiis` out `portionsfto cause.' an accumulation of, the material at points only where.` the air currents maypass, through. Y ,Y

4. ,A y'display apparatus comprising an- Yin.-` closure,a screen therein havingcut-oiit portions, a v mass; of fiaked material, means to produce air currentsto agitate the. material, and-.means to control theciroulationof airA alternately` through, said. cut-.out portions', to cause an alternate accumulation off the material on said screen and at points only nwhere the air currents may pass through.

5. A display apparatus comprising an inclosure, a plurality of strips therein, a screen fastened on the front of said strips, and having cut-out portions divided by said strips, a cover on the back of said strips and provided with a plurality of rows of alternately arranged openings, said screen and cover dividing said inclosure into a front and a rear compartment, a mass of flaked material in said front compartment, means to produce air currents within the front compartment, means in said rear compartment forming separate airy circulating divisions corresponding in number to the rows of openings in said cover, and means to control the circulation of air alternately through the cut-out portions in said screen and said divisions to cause an accumulation of said material at points only on said screen where the air may pass through.

6. A display device comprising an inclosure, a plurality ofstrips in said inclosure, a screen fastened on the front of said strips and having cut-out portions, said strips dividing said screen into a plurality of zones, a cover fastened on the back of said strips, said screen and cover dividing said inclosure intoafront and rear a compartment, the rear compartment divided into a plurality of chambers, having outlets, said cover having a plurality of rows of alternate openings providing communication between the front compartment and the chambers in the rear compartment, a mass of flaked material lin said front compartment, means to produce air currents within said front compartment, and means to control alternately theI circulation of air from the front compartment to the chambers in Said rear compartment, whereby to cause an accumulation of the material on alternate zones of said screen successively.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. WILEY. Witnesses:

W. I-I. DuTToN, O'r'ro WARMACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

